Steam and air pipe coupling



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. W. CART-ER.

STEAM AND AIR PIPE COUPLING.

N0. 391,117. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model.)

J. W. CARTER.

STEAM AND AIR PIPE COUPLING. v

No. 391,117. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

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NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN W. CARTER, OF SILVER CITY, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

STEAM AND AIR PIPE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,117. dated October 16, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Silver City, in the county of Grant and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Automatic Concentric Steam and Air Pipe Couplings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic couplings for pipes or tubes used upon railway-cars to convey air and steam or water for heating purposes or for operating brakes, &c., and its object is to provide such tubes which shall simultaneously convey both steam and air or water in connection with a device operating automatically both to couple and uncouple the pipes and prevent the escape of said fluids when the pipes are uncoupled and the cars detached. For such purpose the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure1represents a side elevation of a portion of two railway-cars in the act of coupling, parts being in section and partly broken away, on which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a detailed View of the front end of the coupling with a coupling-dog and connected parts in position. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the same, showing steam and air passages and automatic valves in said passages. Fig. 4. is an enlarged side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a iront end view of the same. Fig. 6is a vertical section on line WV 1' of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detailed view of the packing of tubes Y and Z.

Similar letters and figures indicate like parts in the several drawings.

In Fig. 1, letter A represents a portion of two railway-cars to which my invention is applied, letters B B indicating the draw-bars, C C the buffer-heads, D the link, and E the coupling-pin. Firmly attached to the sills of the cars are frame-works F F, with brace G to support the pipe-coupling and parts of same, as shown in Fig. 1.

Letters P and Q, Fig. 4, are respectively steam and air pipes connected with the combined steam and air coupling I, Fig. 2, by means of flexible tubes R and S, Fig. 1. This combined coupling I consists of two concentric pipes, Y (the inner one) representing the air-pipe, and Z (the outer one) the steam or water pipe, which two pipes terminate at the outer end in the same plane and are bifurcated at their inner end in and through the base K, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4:, where they diverge and connect, respectively, as shown, with the pipes P and Q. Both pipes Y and Z are provided with ball-valves b and 0, attached to rigid stems d and g, which have flat thin plates 0 and f at their respective outer ends. These valves, when in their normal position, without pressure on the outer ends of their stems, drop by gravity down the inclines i and j, as shown in Fig. 3, and close the air and steam passages Y and Z. The outer ends, 0 and h, project, as shown in Fig. 3, and by the act of coupling are pushed inward and flush with the outer end of their respective pipes, by which means the valves rise to the recesses indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 3, and the air and steam passages are thus unobstructed.

The coupling and pipes are secured to the frame L, which moves freely horizontally in the hanging framework F F and has suitable play by means ofthe coiled springs O O, which surround the rods or stems N N, which in turn support the front end or base, K, of the coupling. These springs abut between the said base K and the vertical hanger F.

The device for coupling the pipes consists of four dogs, 1 2 3 4, of the shape and character shown more exactly in Fig. 4, as also T, Fig. 6. These dogs are pivoted at equal distances apart on the outer circumference of and near the outer end of the concentric pipes I and play in the line of radii to said pipes. \Vhen uncoupled, these dogs flare outwardly, are wedgeshaped, and have each under their lower edges slots or recesses o, uniform in size, shape, and position to each other. At and under the rear ends of said dogs at are springs X, Fig. 2, to

hold themin position when coupled. On the end of the coupling or concentric pipes is a flange, J, Fig. 2, whose function is to engage the slot or recess 0 in the dogs when the tubes are coupled. Between these dogs are guideplates U, Fig; 2, which serve to steady and hold the dogs in place.

In the rear of theflange J, and between it and the pivots a of the dogs, is a press-plate or ring,W, which encircles the dogs, and which not only aids in securing the coupling, but opcrates in uncoupling the pipes. The actof coupling the combined pipes, which, with the accompanying devices, are identical in both cars, is accomplished thus: The dogs are so constructed and arranged that when the cars come together the dogs interlock, as shown in Fig. 1. The flanges J press forward against the inclined under edges, m, of the dogs. which are thus thrown up and back until the flanges engage and drop into the recesses 0, and the dogs then fall forward under the action of the springs X and complete the coupling. The effect of this coupling is to bring andbind the two opposite flanges and the pipes in close end contact. The ball-valves in the pipes Y and Z are pushed forward, as shown, and an effect- 'ual, continuous, clear, and tight air and steam or water conduit is created by means of packing-rings 5 and 6. This packing may consist of rubber inserted in a V-shaped' receptacle formed by a shallow tubing inserted in said pipes Y and Z, which rubber should project slightly beyond the ends ofsaid pipes, with a convex outer surface, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. The frame L, which holds the coupling, plays horizontally in the vertical rigid hangers FFand connected adjacent bar F, and the shock from the impingement of the couplingheads is further modified by the springs O O. This free movement and action aids both in coupling and uncoupling the pipes, for which end a draw-bar, V, runs through the rigid bar or hanger F, playing loosely therein and secured at its rear end, through a lug or projection, 1", in hanger F by a button-head, q, and attached at its forward end to a ring or pressplate, W, which encircles the dogs T just in front of their pivots a and engages in a long slot or recess having a shoulder, Z, on the upper edge of said dogs. This shoulder is slightly in the rear of the pivots a. A. vertical lever, H, is pivoted nearly midway of the brace G, which runs diagonally from the sill of the car A to the hanger F F. The upper end of this lever'engages in a recess, b, in the draw-bar B of car A, and is pivoted at its lower'end to a horizontal rod, M, connecting said lever to the rear end of frame L.

When the cars are in the act of coupling, the draw-bars B B are by their impingement driven backward, and the upper end of lever H by consequence is carried'backward, while its lower end at M is in the same degree moved forward, carrying with it frame L, so that the ends of the concentric pipes I I of the two cars are pushed ahead of the lines of the drawbars B B, insuring an immediate contact and coupling of said pipes I I. The uncoupling is also automatically effected in the following manner: When the draw-bars B B of the two cars are uncoupled and the cars separated, the rigid hangers F F on each car are drawn back with the receding cars, the frame L, in which the pipe-coupling is supported, plays loosely in said hangers, the draw-bar V, which is secured at its inner end to hanger F, is drawn back with said hanger F, and draws with it the press-plate W, which by consequence presses against the shoulder Z on the dogs T, and the rear ends of said dogs are by this action depressed while the front ends are elevated,which thus release the flanges from engagement with the slots 0 0 and uncouple the pipes. Lever B may also be operated by hand from any suitable attachment at any convenient position on the car; or, if preferred, a direct attachment may be made to rod V at q, and the uncoupling thus effected by manual application. The further result of the uncoupling is that the ball-valves c and d, Fig. 3, will fall down the inclines i andj and cut off the steam, air, or Water in the pipes.

The press-plate or ring W serves a further purpose in holding the dogs down to their engagement with the flange J, as this plate or ring when in its normal position is just forward of the pivots a of the dogs and is pressed back when the dogs rise to admit the head of the concentric pipe, but returns to its former position'when the dogs fall and engage the flange.

It is obvious that this device for coupling and uncoupling is equally adapted to single as well as concentric pipes, and I do not mean to confine my invention to concentric pipes alone.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In an automatic car-pipe coupling, the combination of a pipe having a flange on its outer end, and cut-off valves attached to rigid stems which are enlarged at their outer ends and project beyond theends of the pipe when the valves are closed, spring-actuated pivoted locking-dogs, draw-bar V, and press-plate W,

by means of which the uncoupling is effected, all constructed, combined, and arranged as and for the purpose shown and described.

- 2. In an automatic car-pipe coupling, the

combination of the concentric pipe I, consisting of an inner and an outer surrounding pipe concentrictherewith, bifurcated at its inner end and flanged at its outer end, having cut-off valves attached to rigid stems which are'enlarged at their outer ends and project beyond the outer ends of the pipes when the valves are closed, spring -actuated pivoted locking-dogs, press-plate W, and draw-bar V, all constructed, combined, and arranged as and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The combination, with a car-pipe coup' ling bifurcated at the inner end to connect with elastic tubes, and having flanged outer coupled, all constructed, combined, and arends and cut-off valves with rigid stems which ranged as shown and described. 10 are enlarged at their outer ends and project, In testimony whereof I affix my signature in when the valves are closed, beyond the outer presence of two witnesses.

5 ends of the pipes, of spring-actuated pivoted JOHN WV. CARTER.

locking-dogs, press-plate WV, with draw-bar V, WVitnesses: and lever M, and draw-bar B of a railway- JOHN BROOKMAN, car, whereby the pipes are automatically nn- H. SMITH. 

